Our College Avenue Branch is located in the heart of Oakland's bustling Rockridge District. The school population strongly reflects the cosmopolitan diversity of North Oakland, Rockridge and Elmwood.
The building originally was a steam cleaners, later became a miniature golf course and finally a Nursery School about 50 years ago. This is the smallest of our schools and the most community oriented.
We serve children who range in age from 2 to 5 years. There are four age-determined learning groups; skills developed range from those appropriate for very young children to those appropriate for pre-Kindergarteners.
Of all our schools this one is the most child-centered with an emphasis on the developmental process. The children are presented with a wide variety of learning tools and manipulatives through which the children will discover and learn.
The teacher's role is that of facilitator in the learning environment. Although the program and the course of the day is structured, the structure resides with the teacher rather than the children.
The children are presented with weekly themes (frequently seasonally based) and families can interact with those themes. As with all of our Branches, the children are spirited and happy.